Chapter 14: Mark vs Obadiah Iron Monger (1)
Mark already had a good idea of how Pepper Potts ended up captured.
Originally, she'd gone snooping around Obadiah's office and barely escaped with incriminating evidence. But Mark's arrival had thrown a wrench in the timeline. Stark was supposed to be stuck in Afghanistan for a month, not a few days. Who knew what kind of butterfly effect that might have caused?
Even though Stark hadn't built the Mark I armor in that cave, the idea had been brewing ever since he'd created the mini arc reactor.
Mark figured that once back in New York, Stark had holed up in his workshop and started tinkering. Maybe he wanted to show off, or maybe he just underestimated his treacherous uncle. Whatever the reason, Stark had inadvertently leaked the concept of the Iron Man suit, and Obadiah had taken the bait. He'd been secretly building his own version – the Iron Monger.
But there was one crucial element Obadiah couldn't replicate: the arc reactor. Its intricate design was beyond his grasp.
Then, Pepper Potts started poking around in his affairs. Frustrated and angry, Obadiah had taken her hostage. If his secret project failed, he'd resort to brute force and take the reactor from Stark.
Obadiah claimed he'd trade Pepper for the reactor, but Mark knew better. He probably planned to kill them both, tie up loose ends, and get that power source all for himself. Two birds, one stone.
Stark knew what Obadiah was up to, but he couldn't just stand by. He might be a sarcastic jerk, but he was a hero at heart. Going in alone, though, was a suicide mission. That's when he thought of Mark, the sorcerer. If science couldn't solve this, maybe magic could.
"What do we do now?"
Stark paced back and forth in his Malibu mansion, anxiety etched on his face. "Should I just fly you over there and let you blast Obadiah with your magic?"
"See this guy next to me?" Mark gestured towards Nick Fury. "He just gave me a lecture about how magic isn't a cure-all."
"Huh?" Stark looked confused.
"Come on, let it go," Nick Fury grumbled. "We need to save lives here, not rehash old arguments."
"I'm just saying," Mark said with a shrug. "Most people don't believe in magic, and Tony escaped from those terrorists pretty easily. You think Obadiah wouldn't be suspicious? But hey, I'm not worried. Is Obadiah tougher than the Abomination? I turned that guy into ground beef. I think I can handle him."
He paused for a moment, then added, "The thing is, I'm better at offense than defense. We need a plan to get Pepper out safely. It's not every day Stark gets this worked up over someone..."
"Hold on a second!" Stark interrupted.
"Pepper is my assistant, my employee!" he insisted. "I'm trying to save her because she's competent, not because... well, not because of anything else."
"Oh, 'competent'?" Mark chuckled. "I get it. So that's how it is. You use your assistant when you need her, and when you don't..."
"That's not what I meant! Can you just focus?" Stark was getting exasperated. "I'm not the playboy I used to be. This is serious! People's lives are at stake!"
"I'm working on it," Mark assured him. "This time, we need to be smart about this. No rushing in guns blazing. It's too risky. Just wait till I open this loot box... Hey, you got any snacks around here?"
"Snacks?" Stark stared at him incredulously. "We don't have time for a picnic! People need saving!"
"You know that Iron Man suit guzzles power, right?" Mark asked.
"Of course I know," Stark said, bewildered. "Why do you think Obadiah wants the arc reactor so badly? The suit itself isn't that complicated to build, it's the power source that's the problem."
"The suit runs on electricity," Mark pointed out. "What do you think magic runs on?"
"He just helped the military clean up a major accident with their experimental tech," Nick Fury chimed in. "Trust me, it took a lot out of him."
"...J.A.R.V.I.S., bring me a cheeseburger from the fridge," Stark said, resigned.
"And a Coke!" he added as an afterthought.
A robotic arm descended from the ceiling, carrying a tray with a steaming cheeseburger and an ice-cold Coke. "Your cheeseburger and Coke, sir," a voice announced.
"I like this AI," Mark said approvingly, grabbing the burger and taking a huge bite.
Earlier, when he'd defeated the Abomination, he'd unlocked a new module – Mutant Creatures. He'd also gotten a Lucky Block, but hadn't had a chance to open it. Now seemed like the perfect time.
He focused his mind and activated the Lucky Block.
A small white bag appeared in his inventory.
"Hmm..."
Mark stared at the bag, lost in thought.
He recognized it instantly.
It was the item he'd been dreaming of – the Philosopher's Stone from the Equivalent Exchange module.
But despite being from that module, it wasn't that useful. It was just an alchemy bag, a storage device. Like a magical satchel or one of those space rings from fantasy novels.
If he'd gotten the Transmutation Circle, he would have been ecstatic. But that was like pulling an ultra-rare card in a gacha game – pure luck.
"What's wrong?" Stark noticed Mark's expression and asked, concerned.
"Slight hiccup," Mark admitted, rubbing his forehead. "Didn't get the card I wanted, but it's not a big deal. I have a backup plan."
"Dude, come on!" Stark pleaded. "Time is of the essence! Obadiah gave me half an hour, and we're down to three minutes! This is life or death!"
"Looks like my luck ran out, and the 'card trick' to save Pepper failed," Mark said, stroking his chin. "So, we're going with Plan B. We head over there, you confront Obadiah, and I'll improvise."
"So after all that, we're still just winging it?" Nick Fury couldn't help but comment.
"Shut it, you old coot!" Mark snapped. "My bad luck is all your fault! Your grumpy face threw off my mojo. Don't you dare question my methods!"
"You..." Nick Fury started to retort, but Stark cut him off.
"Enough! I don't care about your squabbles! We need to save Pepper, now! Time's running out!" He flung open the ceiling hatch. "I'm heading out! You two, get a move on!"
"Wait..." Before Mark could finish, Stark blasted off into the sky.
"Seriously? Is he that eager to get himself killed?" Mark turned to Nick Fury, exasperated.
"...," Nick Fury just stared at him.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Mark asked, bewildered. "Cat got your tongue?"
"I don't dare say anything around you," Nick Fury muttered.
"..."
Mark was speechless. He finally understood the situation. "Fine," he said, regaining his composure. "Let's go save Pepper. Oh, and grab that prototype reactor."
"Prototype? What prototype?" Nick Fury looked confused.
"Tony built a mini reactor in that cave in Afghanistan," Mark explained. "Given the circumstances, it was probably just a rough draft. I bet he built a new one when he got back. Obadiah wants the reactor, and if Tony gives him the real one, things will get ugly. We need to find that prototype."
"Where is it?"
"I don't know, but J.A.R.V.I.S. should," Mark said, looking around. "J.A.R.V.I.S., you hear all that?"
"It's in the cabinet to your left," the AI responded instantly.
"Got it."
Mark snapped his fingers, the cabinet doors bursting open, shattering the glass display case inside. He retrieved the first-generation arc reactor, which looked like a clunky, oversized medal.
"Let's go."
With the reactor in hand, Mark teleported himself and Nick Fury to the location Obadiah had given Stark. It was a Stark Industries laboratory.
"Tony, you actually showed up," Obadiah said with a smirk.
"Where's Pepper?" Stark ignored him, his eyes frantically searching the room.
"Oh, she's safe. For now. At least until I get that reactor," Obadiah said, his voice dripping with malice. He pressed a button on a console. "You're outmatched, Tony. You and your little tin can are nothing..."
"Let me show you what real power looks like."